Overhead storage bin lock
OwnerJohn E. Cheeverinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
What is disclosed is a latch comprising a housing and a pawl that is held in a normal position relative to the housing and capable of extending from the normal position and away from the latch housing along a travel path to maintain connection between the latch and a strike. This improved latch is a locking mechanism that reacts to deflections and bowing in overhead storage compartment bins found in airplanes to maintain positive engagement between the compartment door and bin. In addition, the latch is compatible with existing strikes used in storage compartment bins, and thus does not require existing strikes to be modified or changed for the latch to preserve engagement between the compartment door and bin.
Claims20
A latch mechanism for a door that engages with an overhead storage bin of an aircraft, said mechanism comprising:
- a housing to be positioned on said door;
- and
- a pawl in said housing mounted to cooperate with a strike secured to the bin to hold the door closed, said pawl being mounted in a manner capable of extending from the housing in response to a biasing force so as to continue to hold the door closed if the bin deflects away from the door in response to a deflecting force.
A latch mechanism for maintaining a door engaged with a compartment so as to keep the door in a closed position, said mechanism including:
- a housing to be mounted in said door;
- a pawl in said housing having a retracted position in which a portion of the pawl engages a strike secured to the compartment to hold the door in the closed position, said pawl being extendable from the retracted position away from the housing towards the compartment;
- a biasing element in said housing urging said pawl to extend away from the housing;
- a catch for restricting extending movement of the pawl, said catch being positioned to be moved by said strike to release said pawl when the door is closed thereby causing the pawl to extend in response to the urging of said biasing element if said compartment deflects away from the door and causing the pawl to remain engaged with said strike so that the door remains in a closed position;
- and
- a handle mounted to said housing and linked to said pawl so that moving the handle to open the door retracts the pawl from the strike, permitting the door to be opened.
A method of maintaining closed a door of a storage bin if a bottom wall of the bin deflects downwardly, said method comprising the steps of:
- providing for installation in said door a latch mechanism which includes a pawl that engages a strike attached to the bottom wall to hold the door closed;
- and
- urging the pawl to extend downwardly to continue to engage the strike and hold the door closed when the wall deflects downwardly in response to a deflecting force.
An assembly comprising:
- an aircraft overhead storage bin having a bottom wall and a front door which is swingable upwardly to provide access to the storage bin and swingable downwardly to close the bin;
- and
- a latch mechanism for latching the door to the bottom wall in a closed position, said mechanism including a latching member mounted to the door and a strike attached to the bin bottom wall, said latching member being configured to cooperate with the strike to latch the door in a closed position, and said latching member being biased downwardly so that it will continue to cooperate with said latch to maintain the door closed if the bottom wall of the bin deflects downwardly in response to a deflecting force.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.